Tropical Storm Milton
How To Fill A Sandbag:
Fill sandbags 1/2 to 2/3 full, tie at top so bag will lay flat when put in place. A properly filled sand bag should weigh between 35-40 lbs.
Overfilled bags and bags tied too low leave gaps in sandbag levee allowing water to seep through. An overfilled sandbag can weigh 70 - 75 lbs.
TIP: Always use gloves to protect your hands during the filling operation. After handling treated bags, avoid contact with your eyes and mouth. Dress appropriately and layer clothing. Safety goggles should be used on dry and windy days.
Overfilled bags and bags tied too low leave gaps in sandbag levee allowing water to seep through. An overfilled sandbag can weigh 70–75 lbs.
How To Place Sandbags:
Sandbags should be placed flat on ground, overlapped, tamped into place, and stair stepped.
How Many Bags Do You Need?
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Every year it's important for residents to know if they live an evacuation zone, a low-lying, flood prone area, a mobile home or an unsafe structure during hurricane season. These areas and buildings are most likely to be evacuated and knowing these zones helps Floridians prepare to evacuate and better understand orders from local officials.
This year, it is also very important for residents to know their home. If an evacuation order is not issued for your area and your house is not in an evacuation zone, you may consider sheltering in place. If you shelter in place, it’s important to know your home and its ability to withstand strong winds and heavy rain.
Instructions to Know Your Zone, Know Your Home
- Click Know Your Zone Map (Please note, the Division is continuously updating and making improvements to this website. If you are prompted to log in or are unable to access the map, please try again at a later time.)
- Type in your address
- Know Your Zone - Find if your address is in one of the colored evacuation zones (these are flood zones)
- If you are in an evacuation zone, listen to evacuation orders from local officials (Typically Zone A is the most vulnerable and the most likely to evacuate first. Zone E is most likely to evacuate last)
- If an evacuation order is not issued for your area, you may consider sheltering in place. Not all evacuations zones are always ordered.
- If you shelter in place, it’s important to Know Your Home and its ability to withstand strong winds and heavy rain
Take a look to see where your zone is at Know Your Zone Map.
Zone Designations
County Emergency Management Websites
County Emergency Managers
Click the link or view the map below for County EM Managers with contact information
Develop a family hurricane preparedness plan before an actual
storm threatens your area. If your family hurricane preparedness plan includes evacuation to a safer location for any of the reasons specified with in this web site, then it is important to consider the following points:
If ordered to evacuate, do not wait or delay your departure.
If possible, leave before local officials issue an evacuation order for your area. Even a slight delay in starting your evacuation will result in significantly longer travel times as traffic congestion worsens.
You only need to evacuate tens of miles, not hundreds! Select an evacuation destination that is nearest to your home, preferably in the same county, or at least minimize the distance over which you must travel in order to reach your intended shelter location. In choosing your destination, keep in mind that the hotels and other sheltering options in most inland metropolitan areas are likely to be filled very quickly in a large, multi-county hurricane evacuation event.
If you decide to evacuate to another county or region, be prepared to wait in traffic.
The large number of people in this state who must evacuate during a hurricane will probably cause massive delays and major congestion along most designated evacuation routes; the larger the storm, the greater the probability of traffic jams and extended travel times.
If possible, make arrangements to stay with the friend or relative who resides closest to your home and who will not have to evacuate. Discuss with your intended host the details of your family evacuation plan well before the beginning of the hurricane season.
If a hotel or motel is your final intended destination during an evacuation, make reservations before you leave. Most hotel and motels will fill quickly once evacuations begin. The longer you wait to make reservations, even if an official evacuation order has not been issued for your area or county, the less likely you are to find hotel/motel room vacancies, especially along interstate highways and in major metropolitan areas.
If you are unable to stay with friends or family and no hotels/motels rooms are available, then as a last resort go to a shelter. Remember, shelters are not designed for comfort and do not usually accept pets. Bring your DISASTER SUPPLY KIT with you to the shelter.
Make sure that you fill up your car with gas, before you leave.
Before the flood reaches your area:
- Know if floodwaters might affect your home and property. Know your elevation above flood stage.
- Develop a flood emergency action plan.
- Evacuate immediately, if advised to do so. Bring important documents with you.
- Move to a safe area before access is cut off.
- Keep abreast of road conditions through the news media.
During the flood:
- Avoid areas subject to flooding. Do not attempt to cross flowing water.
- Never drive through flooded roadways. Nearly half of all people killed in floods are those who try driving through flooded areas.
- Do not drive around barricades, they are there for your protection.
- If your vehicle stalls, leave it immediately.
- Never try to walk through or allow children to play around flood water.
After the flood:
- Do not visit disaster areas, your presence may hamper emergency operations.
- Throw out food that has come into contact with the floodwater and boil drinking water before using it.
- Stay out of buildings that remain in flood waters.
- Do not handle live electrical equipment in wet areas.
- If the power is out, use flashlights to examine buildings. Flammables may be inside.
- Report broken utilities to the correct authorities.
Flood damage is not usually covered by homeowners insurance. Do not make assumptions. Check your policy.
Florida 511 - Get up-to-the-minute, real-time traffic conditions and incident information for the State of Florida with Florida 511.
Florida Highway Patrol - Florida Highway Patrol Live Traffic Crash and Road Condition Report. Reports are updated every five minutes. Incidents located within city limits also may not show on the map since it is not common practice for FHP to work incidents inside city limits.
Florida Traffic - Traffic incidents and conditions from Florida 511 and Florida Highway Patrol brought to you by Florida State Emergency Response Team Geographic Information Systems.
Florida Storms - Florida Public Radio Emergency Network Google Play Apple Store
Florida 511 - Get up-to-the-minute, real-time traffic conditions and incident information for the State of Florida with Florida 511.
FEMA - mobile app
Red Cross - mobile apps
Gas Buddy - Gas stations availability
